The actor Brad Pitt yesterday invited the public to submit "green design" ideas for a competition aimed at helping rebuild hurricane-devastated New Orleans.

Pitt has teamed up with Global Green USA on the project, which he hopes will turn the catastrophe into an opportunity. "Can we create for these neighbourhoods something even better than they had before?" he said.

Pitt will lead a jury, which will include local people, to select six finalists by July. The aim is to build new homes and Global Green also plans to provide technical help to make 10,000 buildings in the city more energy efficient.